Precut adhesive body support articles and support system

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an adhesive support article for supporting a body part of a user. A single-sided stretchable adhesive tape blank is precut into a sheet having a central anchoring portion and a plurality of outwardly extending fingers. The sheet is marked with visual indicators to guide the user of the support article for applying the central anchoring portion onto a first exterior surface of the body part and for stretching the fingers before adhering them at a predetermined distance away from the central anchoring portion. The adhesive support article can also be provided in a support system with at least one corresponding body landmark article, providing further guidance for applying the support article to the desired body part.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/242,503, filed Apr. 1, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/526,829, filed Sep. 25, 2009 (now U.S. Pat. No.8,742,196, issued on Jun. 3, 2014), which is a national stageapplication of International Patent Application Serial No.PCT/US2008/000233, filed Feb. 7, 2008, which claims benefit of CanadianPatent Application Serial No. 2,578,927, filed Feb. 19, 2007. Each ofthe aforementioned patent applications is herein incorporated byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to articles for supporting a user body part andmore particularly to adhesive body support articles.

Background of the Invention

A relatively new tool in the physiotherapy and sports medicine arsenalis high-stretch adhesive support tape. Such tape is distinct fromtraditional “sports” tape which is used to isolate and restrain a bodypart to protect it and allow healing. It is also distinct fromtraditional TENSOR® wrap bandages, which although stretchable, areprimarily used for bracing an injury. High-stretch adhesive supporttape, by contrast, is used for the purpose of positioning the body part(typically a joint) while permitting a high degree of natural mobility.

High-stretch adhesive support tape acts as an assist to weakmusculature. The stretch in the tape allows a mild degree of tension tobe placed across the supported body part, in effect acting as anauxiliary muscle.

High-stretch adhesive support tape can also be used for pain therapy inacute situations. The tape lifts the skin providing a stimulus to thefascia and/or muscular tissue, stimulates blood and lymphatic flow,alters the forces over the affected joint, effects muscle inhibition andfacilitation, and stimulates muscle and skin receptors such asmechanoreceptors, nociceptors, exteroceptive receptors, and cutaneousproprioceptive afferents.

The adhesive aspect of the tape is critical to producing these effects.The tape sticks directly to the body. The adhesive is strong enough thatopposite ends of a length of tape applied to the body will remainadhered even when the tape length is under tension and the body part isin regular active use. This contrasts with other tapes that are eithernon-adhesive or adhesive only to themselves. These tapes can be wrappedrepeatedly on a body part or dispensed from a self-adhesive roll butcannot be adhered directly to the body.

One particularly effective type of high-stretch adhesive support tape isKinesio Tex™ by Kinesio Co., Ltd. of Japan. This tape has many of theadvantageous properties discussed above. However, it suffers severaldrawbacks, relating to the fact that it is sold in rolls, which must becustomized for application according to the imagination and skill of thedoctor. A physiotherapist or sports doctor must cut off a section of thetape from a roll, cut the length of tape further into a therapeuticshape, and apply it to the patient. The cutting, shaping and positioning(tensioning) of the tape piece are left to the complete discretion ofthe doctor. It is a trial and error process. The doctor is effectivelytrying to estimate a position, length, shape and degree of tension thatwill cause a subjective improvement in sensation, range of motion orpain relief in the patient.

The tape includes no visual indication of where or how to position it onthe patient's body or how to use the stretch property effectively (whattension to apply). As a result, it is possible to position the tapeincorrectly or with an inappropriate tension reducing the therapeuticeffectiveness, reducing or constricting blood circulation, or evenworsening the underlying condition.

For the patient, this trial and error process can be frustrating.Obtaining relief and/or satisfactory support from the tape is thusheavily dependent on the skill of the particular doctor and his/herexperience with the tape product. Furthermore, the patient is committedto attending regularly at the doctor's office to have the tape freshlyapplied, since the tape is not typically available to patients directly,and in any case, could not be applied without considerable professionalguidance.

For the doctor, the tape cutting and shaping are time-consuming and maybe impossible to accommodate in a busy practice. Most doctors do not seetheir patients on a sufficiently regular basis to keep up a continuoustape therapy. There may be long gaps between “tape application” visitsfor chronic conditions, during which gaps the patient has noself-treatment option.

Another drawback of existing tapes is that they are frequently onlyavailable in narrower widths (less than 3 inches). While a narrow widthprovides a convenient size for packaging on a roll, the size is notconducive to effective coverage for support of many body parts. Thedoctor applying the tape may have to cut and apply multiple pieces oftape to achieve the desired effect. This complicates the applicationprocess and increases the time commitment.

It would be desirable to provide a pre-cut, pre-engineered adhesive bodysupport article to overcome the aforementioned problems of high-stretchadhesive support tapes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to a first aspect of the invention, an adhesive supportarticle is provided for supporting a body part of a user. A single-sidedstretchable adhesive tape blank is precut into a sheet to form theadhesive support article. The sheet has a central anchoring portion anda plurality of fingers extending outwardly from the central anchoringportion. The sheet is marked with visual indicators to guide the user ofthe support article for: applying the central anchoring portion onto afirst exterior surface of the body part; and stretching the fingers apredetermined distance away from the central anchoring portion accordingto the marked indicators and adhesively applying the fingers to a secondexterior surface of the body part spaced away from the first exteriorsurface to support the body part by tethering the first and secondexterior surfaces together.

The tape blank preferably comprises a waterproof, breathable,high-elasticity physiotherapy tape.

The central anchoring portion may define a centrally positioned hole forallowing a joint to protrude through the sheet. This aids withpositioning of the support article and enhances user comfort.

The fingers may be the same length or different lengths. The fingers maycomprise alternating longer and shorter lengths. The length of thefingers is used to pre-calibrate the tension that will be present in thecompletely installed article. Shorter fingers will be stretched morethan longer fingers. Longer fingers may be adhered with no tension atall.

Preferably, the central anchoring portion comprises a generallyrectangular portion having two opposing longer sides and two opposingshorter sides. The fingers may extend outward from one or both of thetwo longer sides. The central anchoring portion defines an axis alongits length. The fingers may extend at a perpendicular ornon-perpendicular angle to the axis. In one embodiment, the fingers areprecut to extend helically outward from the central anchoring portion.

To aid in installation, the sheet may comprise a release liner. Therelease liner is preferably scored to provide separate releasableportions at the central anchoring portion and at the fingers, so as tofacilitate placement of the central anchoring portion before stretchingand adhering the fingers.

The indicators on the sheet may comprise numerical indicators, letterindicators, or other indicators (such as pictograms or color codes).These may be marked on the fingers, the central anchoring portion orboth. Preferably, a set of coordinating indicators are used on thefingers and the central anchoring portion to facilitate installation.The indictors may be marked to guide the user of the support article foroverlapping the fingers when applying them.

In one embodiment of the support article, the central anchoring portionhas a U shape with a pair of side portions joined by a base portion. Thefingers extend from at least one of the side portions of the U. Eachfinger may extend from one of the side portions be stretchable towardthe other side portion. The indicators may be marked to guide the userof the support article for stretching the fingers from one side portionto the other side portion when applying them. Alternatively, theindicators may be marked to guide the user of the support article forstretching the fingers toward the base portion when applying them.

According to a second aspect of the invention, an adhesive supportsystem is provided. The system includes an adhesive support article andat least one adhesive body landmark article. The support article isadapted for supporting a body part of a user and comprises: asingle-sided stretchable adhesive tape blank precut into a sheet havinga central anchoring portion and a plurality of fingers extendingoutwardly from the central anchoring portion.

The sheet is marked with visual indicators to guide the user of thesupport article for: applying the central anchoring portion onto a firstexterior surface of the body part; and

stretching the fingers a predetermined distance away from the centralanchoring portion according to the marked indicators and adhesivelyapplying the fingers to a second exterior surface of the body partspaced away from the first exterior surface to support the body part bytethering the first and second exterior surfaces together.

The at least one adhesive body landmark article is adapted for adheringto an identifiable body landmark of the user to aid in gauging how farto stretch the fingers of the support article to adhere the fingers tothe second exterior surface according to the marked indicators. The bodylandmark article may, for instance, be manufactured to a length thatcorresponds to the distance the fingers should be stretched from thecentral anchoring portion.

Preferably, the body landmark article is marked with a second set ofindicators corresponding to the indicators on the support article.

Preferably, the system is packaged with instructions for the order ofapplication of the body landmark article and the support article. It maybe desirable to apply the body landmark article before the supportarticle, or after.

The body landmark article is preferably pre-folded into halves at acentral fold line. The body landmark article preferably includes arelease liner, which is also scored at the central fold line to permitthe pre-folded halves to be adhered separately. Preferably, at least oneof the halves of the body landmark article is adapted to overlap andretain at least a portion of the fingers of the body support articlewhen the fingers are adhered in the indicated position. The overlappinghalf of the body landmark article may be marked with indicatorscorresponding to indicators on the fingers that it overlaps.

According to a third aspect of the invention, a further adhesive supportarticle is provided for supporting a body part of a user. The articlecombines a support article similar to the first embodiment with bodylandmarks similar to the second embodiment. The embodiment differs inthat the support article and body landmarks are integral with each otherin one unified support article. A single-sided stretchable adhesive tapeblank precut into a sheet has: a central anchoring portion; a pluralityof fingers extending outwardly from the central anchoring portion; atleast one T-shaped body landmark projection extending outwardly from thecentral anchoring portion beyond the fingers, the body landmark having apair of laterally extending wing members.

The sheet is marked on the fingers and the at least one body landmarkwith visual indicators to guide the user of the support article for:

applying the central anchoring portion onto a first exterior surface ofthe body part;

applying the at least one body landmark onto a second exterior surfaceof the body part; and

stretching the fingers away from the central anchoring portion to meetthe wing members of the body landmark before adhesively applying thefingers, to thereby support the body part by tethering the first andsecond exterior surfaces together.

The invention has numerous advantages over the prior art. The supportarticle and support system provide improved user-friendly adhesivesupport over existing tapes requiring professional cutting and shaping.The invention also provides an objectively engineered design whicheliminates the guesswork of the prior tape systems, allowing tension tobe pre-calibrated so that users can apply the articles themselves,providing an effective self management strategy for those suffering frompainful joints and/or chronic weakness.

The pre-cut shape of the support article further allows for aphysiologically more effective adhesive support for supporting a joint,as all of the extensions (fingers) of the support article are focusedaround an anatomically significant central point allowing the centralanchoring portion and fingers to work together increasing the overalleffectiveness. The single piece (or single piece with body landmarks)design provides continuous support to work in an interdependent mannerproviding muscular facilitation and inhibition as well as cutaneousproprioceptive input.

Physiologically, the support article is designed to pull the cutaneousattachment of the support, the projections (fingers) back toward thecentral anchoring portion relieving tension on the underlyingsuperficial fascia and providing afferent sensory input altering painreception and joint awareness. This is believed to closely replicate howthe human body work by means of a continuous interfacing of fascia. Skinirritation from friction is minimized as the adhesive support and theunderlying skin move as one unit.

Unlike wrap bandages and other forms of braces (both adhesive andnon-adhesive), this form of support does not restrict expansion of themuscles or compression of subcutaneous blood flow and is therefore saferfor application by unskilled users.

A further advantage of the support system is that the body landmarks canbe used to provide additional stabilization of the fingers of thesupport article. In an overlapping configuration, the landmarks overlapthe finger “tips” thereby preventing curling and premature delaminationof the fingers when in use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows a top plan view of a first body support article accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of a second body support article accordingto the present invention.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show top plan views of a body landmark article for use inthe present invention (upper and lower, respectively).

FIG. 5 shows a top plan view of a first stage of installation of a bodysupport system having a body support article and upper and lower bodylandmark articles.

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the upper body landmark article folded priorto installation.

FIG. 7 shows a side view of the upper body landmark article beingunfolded in the course of first stage installation.

FIG. 8 shows a side view of the lower body landmark article folded priorto installation.

FIG. 9 shows a side view of the lower body landmark article beingunfolded in the course of first stage installation.

FIG. 10 shows a top plan view of completed installation of the bodysupport system.

FIG. 11 shows a top plan view of completed installation of the bodysupport system on a human body part.

FIG. 12 shows a top plan view of a third body support article havingintegral upper and lower body landmarks.

FIG. 13 shows a top plan view of a variation of the first body supportarticle, having fingers extending in one direction only.

FIG. 14 shows a top plan view of a fourth body support article having aU-shaped central anchoring portion with fingers extending towardopposite sides of the U.

FIG. 15 shows a top plan view of a variation of the fourth body supportarticle marked with indicators for stretching the fingers in anoverlapping or interwoven pattern.

FIG. 16 shows a top plan view of a further variation of the fourth bodysupport article marked with indicators for stretching the fingers in aninterlaced or interdigitated pattern.

FIG. 17 shows a top plan view of a variation of the body support systemshown in FIG. 10 marked with indicators for stretching the fingers in across-over pattern.

FIG. 18 shows a top plan view of an adhesive support system forsupporting a body part.

FIG. 19 shows a bottom view of the adhesive support system of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 shows a simplified side view of the adhesive support system ofFIG. 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a very simplistic adhesive body support article 10according to the present invention. For the greatest simplicity, asingle fixed shape may be used which is capable of providing support tothe knee, low back, hip, shoulder, hamstring, and elbow in one design.The pre-cut sheet has a central anchoring portion (generally, 20), whichmay include a central hole 40 for allowing a joint to protrude.Projecting generally outwardly from the central anchoring portion 20 arefingers 30. As shown, the support article 10 may have separate upper andlower fingers terminating at upper ends 50A and lower ends 50Brespectively. An alternative configuration of the body support articleis shown in FIG. 13. As illustrated, the article may be configured sothat all fingers 30 extend in one direction away from the centralanchoring portion 20.

The support article is an adhesive sheet having a skin-safe high tackadhesive on one side. The sheet has a high-stretch fabric base, which ispreferably breathable. A stretch coefficient of approximately 140% isconsidered optimal, however a range of stretchability may be useful.Acceptable adhesives and base fabrics are considered to be within theknowledge of persons skilled in the art of bandage and body tapemanufacturing and are not discussed here in detail.

Of note, the support article of the present invention is pre-cut andmarked with indicators allowing positioning of the article on a bodypart of a user. Ideally, the article will also be packaged with simpleinstructions (not shown) for the user to apply the article. Forinstance, the instructions may indicate that, after adhering the centralanchoring portion 20, the user should measure up from the centralanchoring portion 5 inches and adhere the “A” marked 60A finger tips 50Aat that location. The user should measure down from the centralanchoring portion 4 inches and adhere the “B” marked 60B finger tips 50Bat that location. These measurements are merely for illustration andmust be selected to be appropriate to the particular application desired(i.e. particular body part to be supported) and may further be dependenton the size of the user. The distances to stretch govern the tension onthe fingers, which support the body part. As shown in FIG. 13, thefingers may have individual markings 60, each corresponding to adifferent placement direction and desired end point, which would bedetailed in the accompanying instructions (not shown). Note that in boththe variations the central anchoring portion 20 is adhered withoutstretching, therefore it has no tension.

A body support system is illustrated in FIGS. 2-11 and 17. The maincomponents of the system are the support article 110 and body landmarkarticles 150A, 150B. The body landmark articles 150A, 150B avoid theneed to perform a measurement in order to adhere the support article.They assist in positioning the support article.

As with the basic body support described above, the body support article110 shown in FIG. 2 has a central anchoring portion 120 (also shown inFIG. 2 as having cutaway 140 for joint protrusion), and fingers 130extending outwardly from the central anchoring portion 120. The fingers130 are marked with indicators (shown as being separate upper and lowerindicators 170A and 170B, respectively). The indicators correspond toindicators 170A and 170B on landmark articles 150A and 150B shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. The body support article 110 has a release liner, whichis preferably scored along line 125 at the upper and lower boundaries ofthe central anchoring portion 120. The score lines 125 allow the releaseliner to be separated to expose the central anchoring portion 120separately from the release liner(s) along fingers 130, so that theportions may be adhered in sequence.

A preferred body landmark article design is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.These correspond generally to a preferred design of upper and lowerlandmarks 150A, 150B (respectively). Each landmark article is preferablyprovided with a central fold line 180A, 180B (also scored on the releaseliner), which separates the landmark article into two halves (182, 184on the upper landmark article and 186, 188 on the lower landmarkarticle).

The installation process of the body support system is illustrated inFIGS. 5 and 10. FIG. 5 illustrates the first phase of installation,while FIG. 10 illustrates the completed installation. To install thebody support system, the release liner portion on the back of thecentral anchoring portion 120 is first removed along score lines 125.The central anchoring portion with adhesive exposed is then adhered(with zero tension, zero stretch) to the physiological centre that isdesired to be supported. Cutaway 140 is used to center the anchor overan affected joint or other significant body feature (e.g. spine). Atthis point, the fingers 130 are at zero tension and are covered by therelease liner. The pre-folded upper and lower body landmark articles150A and 150B are then adhered at fold halves 182, 188 only. The length160A, 160B of each of the upper and lower body landmark articlespreferably corresponds to the distance away from the central anchoringportion that is needed for effective stretch support by the fingers.Therefore, before adhering the landmark articles, these may be used asrulers by positioning them extending outwardly lengthwise from the foldline 125, the end giving a visual guideline for where the landmark foldline 180A, 180B should then be positioned when the landmark article issituated in its installation position (shown in FIG. 5).

Once the halves 182, 188 are adhered so that the landmark articles arein their installation position, the release liners on the fingers 130are removed and the fingers 130 are stretched so that they extend to thelines 180A, 180B. The upper fingers are stretched in accordance withtheir marked indicators to the marked positions on the landmark articles150A, 150B (best shown in FIG. 10). The different lengths of the fingers130 are pre-engineered so that different tensions will result when thefingers are stretched to lines 180A, 180B. Preferably, the tensions willrange between about 10% to about 40% to support the affected area. Oncethe fingers 130 have been stretched and adhered in position, thelandmark articles are unfolded. The release liner portions on theunadhered halves of the landmark articles are removed, exposing theiradhesive layers. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the folded half 184 isbrought down to lie flat adjacent half 182 in the upper landmark article150A. The folded half 186 is brought down to lie flat adjacent half 188in the lower landmark article 150B. Thus, as shown in FIG. 10, thefingers 130 in completely stretched position are overlapped by thelandmark articles 150A, 150B at 190A, 190B. This also serves to securethe ends of the fingers against peeling.

FIG. 17 shows an alternative variation of the embodiment shown in FIG.10. In this variation, the fingers 130 and body landmark articles 150A,150B are marked for application of the fingers in a cross-over pattern.The cross-over provides a higher concentration of positioning forcefocused toward the center of the body part supported.

FIG. 11 illustrates a sample placement of the body support system 110 ona human knee. As an illustration of the physiological effect of thesupport system, the use will be described having reference to the knee.It will be appreciated that the support article and support system areequally capable of supporting another body part, either in the shapeillustrated or in a similar shape having similar general features of acentral anchoring portion and extensible fingers.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is one of the most frequently experiencedreasons for knee pain. Factors associated with patellofemoral painsyndrome are inactivation of the vastus medialus muscle,over-recruitment of the vastus lateralis, weakness of the rectus femorisand tibialis anterior. The patella ends up having excessive forcepulling it laterally altering the normal wear and friction leading topain and inflammation. Muscle weakness may attribute to arthrogenousinhibition, muscle fibre atrophy or mypopathic change.

The support system provides adhesive support bracing objectivelyengineered, in the case of the knee, to control the position of thepatella, altering the magnitude or distribution of patellofemoral jointpressures or stress on joint and soft tissue structures thus providingpain relief. The support system helps correct and realign movement ofthe patella to take pressure off inflamed tissue and alter “somatic”sensations thus increasing cutaneous proprioceptive acuity, quadricepsstrength and neuromotor control.

A further effect is to provide facilitation to the regional muscles ofthe knee to influence the forces experienced by the knee (vastusmedialis, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, tibialis anterior). Thesupport system further provides exteroceptive stimulation thus alteringpain sensation and provides cutaneous proprioceptive input thusaffecting muscle control.

These effects are achieved because of the differential tensions on theadhesive fingers pulled from the origin at the central anchoringportion. The pre-cut support article includes a central anatomicallysignificant fixed point of origin and physiologically importantprojections to facilitate and inhibit muscles acting of the knee,governed by different levels of tension, in order to alter the forcesover the knee in such a way as to reduce pain and improve range ofmotion.

A variant design is shown in FIG. 12. As illustrated, the body supportarticle 210 may be provided as an integral piece with the landmarkportions 165A, 165B. The article 210 has a central anchoring portion 220with cutaway 240 and scored release liner lines 225. Fingers 230 projectaway from the central anchoring portion 220 and include markedindicators 270A, 270B. Also extending outwardly from the centralanchoring portion is a pair of T-shaped landmark portions, each havingtrunk portion 235 and T portion 165A, 165B having laterally extendingwings. The landmark portions are marked with indicators 270A, 270Bcorresponding to indicators on the fingers. Following installation andadhesion of the central anchoring portion 220, the landmark portionswith their respective trunk portions are adhered (having zero tension)at their pre-measured distance away from the central anchoring portion.The fingers 230 are then stretched to match the indicators 270A, 270Btogether (respectively) to provide the pre-determined level of tensionto support the body part.

FIGS. 14-16 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a body supportarticle 310 having a U-shaped central anchoring portion 320. Differentmarking configurations are possible, as shown in FIGS. 14-16. In FIG.14, the fingers 330 (which extend from side portions 320A, 320B) aremarked for application in a grid pattern. In FIG. 15, the fingers 330are marked for application by stretching them to coordinating positionson the U-shaped central anchoring portion 320. The U-shaped centralanchoring portion may thus take the place of the body landmark articlesin the body support system embodiment described above. In FIG. 16, thefingers 330 are marked for application in an interlaced orinterdigitated pattern (each finger being stretchable to extend to acorresponding indicator on the opposite side portion 320A, 320B).

Referring to FIGS. 18-20, in the example illustrated, another bodysupport article 410 includes a pre-cut stretchable sheet 415 having anadhesive surface 417. The pre-cut stretchable sheet includes a centralanchoring portion 420. The central anchoring portion 420 includes apositioning aid for guiding the user to apply the central anchoringportion 420 to a physiological center to be supported. In the exampleillustrated, the positioning aid includes a central hole 440 in thecentral anchoring portion 420.

In the example illustrated, the sheet further includes a first pluralityof fingers 430A projecting outwardly from the central anchoring portion420 in a first direction, and a second plurality of fingers 430Bprojecting outwardly from the central anchoring portion 420 in a seconddirection opposite to the first direction. The article 410 furtherincludes a release liner 419 on the adhesive surface 417. The releaseliner 419 is scored along a first boundary 425A between the centralanchoring portion 420 and the first plurality of fingers 430A, andscored along a second boundary 425B between the central anchoringportion 420 and the second plurality of fingers 430B. The article 410further includes a set of indicators 470 indicating that the centralanchoring portion 420 is to be applied prior to the first plurality offingers 430A and the second plurality of fingers 430B. In the exampleillustrated, the set of indicators 470 is printed on the release liner419.

The foregoing description illustrates only certain preferred embodimentsof the invention. The invention is not limited to the foregoingexamples. That is, persons skilled in the art will appreciate andunderstand that modifications and variations are, or will be, possibleto utilize and carry out the teachings of the invention describedherein. Accordingly, all suitable modifications, variations andequivalents may be resorted to, and such modifications, variations andequivalents are intended to fall within the scope of the invention asdescribed and within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An adhesive support system for supporting a bodypart of a user, comprising: a) pre-cut stretchable sheet having anadhesive surface, the pre-cut stretchable sheet comprising (i) a centralanchoring portion, the central anchoring portion comprising apositioning aid for guiding the user to apply the central anchoringportion to a physiological center to be supported; (ii) a firstplurality of fingers projecting outwardly from the central anchoringportion in a first direction, and (iii) a second plurality of fingersprojecting outwardly from the central anchoring portion in a seconddirection opposite to the first direction; b) a release liner on theadhesive surface, the release liner scored along a first boundarybetween the central anchoring portion and the first plurality offingers, and scored along a second boundary between the centralanchoring portion and the second plurality of fingers; and c) a set ofindicators, the set of indicators indicating that the central anchoringportion is to be applied prior to the first plurality of fingers and thesecond plurality of fingers.
 2. The adhesive support system of claim 1,wherein the set of indicators is printed on the release liner.
 3. Theadhesive support system of claim 1, wherein the positioning aidcomprises a central hole in the central anchoring portion.
 4. Theadhesive support system of claim 1, wherein the sheet is waterproof,breathable, and has high-elasticity.
 5. The adhesive support system ofclaim 1, wherein the central anchoring portion comprises a generallyrectangular portion having two opposing longer sides and two opposingshorter sides, and the fingers extend from the longer sides.
 6. Theadhesive support system of claim 5, wherein the central anchoringportion defines an axis along its length, and the fingers extend at aperpendicular angle to the axis.
 7. An adhesive support systemsupporting for a body part of a user, comprising: a) a pre-cutstretchable sheet having an adhesive surface, the pre-cut stretchablesheet comprising (i) a central anchoring portion, (ii) at least threefingers projecting outwardly from the central anchoring portion in afirst direction, (iii) an absence of fingers projecting outwardly fromthe central anchoring portion in a second direction opposite the firstdirection; b) a release liner on the adhesive surface, the release linerscored along a boundary between the central anchoring portion and theplurality of fingers; and c) a set of indicators, the set of indicatorsindicating that the central anchoring portion is to be applied prior tothe plurality of fingers.
 8. The adhesive support system of claim 7,wherein the set of indicators is printed on the release liner.
 9. Theadhesive support system of claim 7, wherein the sheet is waterproof,breathable, and has high-elasticity.